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Border post · Zimbabwe to Zambia

Kariba

Mashonaland West · 16.51°S 28.76°E

Short answer

Kariba border post is restricted from 06:00 to 18:00 on the Zimbabwean side (checked 18 October 2026). It crosses to Siavonga in Zambia.

Restricted. Closed to cross-border buses and to imported vehicles in transit from Zambia since 20 July 2023 (ZIMRA notice), which must use Chirundu. The notice does not cover private cars.

Hours
06:00 to 18:00Zimbabwean side · checked · restricted
Other side
Siavonga (Zambia)
Nearest town
Kariba
Vehicles
You drive across the Kariba Dam wall, where KAZA.org warns that weight restrictions apply.

What to know

  • Zimbabwe publishes no hours. 06:00 to 18:00 is Zambia Tourism's figure for Siavonga/Kariba; KAZA.org gives 06:00 to 20:00. Zambia's customs order of 2021 lets its Kariba customs house work all hours, which does not mean immigration does.
  • The quiet way into Zambia, over the dam wall between Kariba town and Siavonga.
  • Since 20 July 2023 ZIMRA has barred cross-border buses, and vehicles imported from the Far East that transit Zambia from Dar es Salaam, from using Kariba, and sends them to Chirundu. The post was congested and the traffic was getting in the way of the dam and power station refurbishment. The notice runs until further notice and we found no sign it has been lifted. It does not cover private cars.
  • Foreign-registered cars need a Temporary Import Permit from ZIMRA at the border (ZIMRA says its services are free; hired cars need a Commercial TIP backed by a clearing agent's guarantee) and pay carbon tax and third party insurance at the ZIMRA counter, in US dollars. ZIMRA's own guide puts the two at US$10 and US$30 a month and the Herald (July 2026) at about US$40 together for a car. The US$10 road access fee that light vehicles paid on each entry was scrapped by Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026, gazetted on 24 July 2026, because ZINARA's toll gates already charge for the road.
  • Carry US dollar cash. Border charges in Zimbabwe are quoted in US dollars; the ZiG has been the local currency since 8 April 2024, and paying in foreign currency stays legal until the end of 2030.

Bring with you

  • Your passport
  • The vehicle's registration papers
  • For a hired car, the rental company's letter of authority to take it across
  • Whatever Zambia asks of your passport: visa, fees and the papers it wants to see

Check the entry rules for Zambia before you go.

Quick answers

What time does Kariba border post open and close?

06:00 to 18:00 on the Zimbabwean side. Zimbabwe publishes no hours. 06:00 to 18:00 is Zambia Tourism's figure for Siavonga/Kariba; KAZA.org gives 06:00 to 20:00. Zambia's customs order of 2021 lets its Kariba customs house work all hours, which does not mean immigration does.

Where does Kariba border post go?

It crosses to Siavonga in Zambia. The nearest Zimbabwean town is Kariba.

Places to stay within 40 km

8
  • "B" Camp
    Chalet
    32.1 KM
  • Caribbea Bay Resort
    Hotel
    4.5 KM
  • Changa Lodge
    Resort
    27.8 KM
  • New B Camp
    Chalet
    32.3 KM
  • Carribea Bay Hotel
    Hotel
    4.6 KM
  • Cutty Sark Hotel
    Hotel
    6.8 KM
  • Gache Gache
    Campsite
    31.6 KM
  • J10 Bush Camp
    Campsite
    10.4 KM

Sources

  1. The Herald, Zimra suspends transiting through Kariba Border Post (17 July 2023)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  2. The Herald, Mixed feelings over Kariba border closure (20 July 2023)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  3. Zambia Tourism Agency, Zambia border crossings (undated, Zambian side hours)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  4. KAZA.org, border crossings guide (2026)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  5. Zambia, Statutory Instrument 62 of 2021, Customs and Excise (Ports of Entry and Routes) (Amendment) Order (customs hours on the Zambian side, 22 April 2021)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  6. Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Getting to Zimbabwe (lists the ten main road border posts, no hours)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  7. The Herald, Govt scraps duplicative access fees in transport sector, on Statutory Instrument 113 of 2026 (28 July 2026)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  8. ZIMRA, Temporary Importation for Visitors' Vehicles (undated guide: TIP, third party insurance, carbon tax, road access fee)checked 18 Oct 2026, official
  9. Wikipedia, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG official currency since 8 April 2024; foreign currency payments valid until 31 December 2030)checked 18 Oct 2026, one source only
  10. OpenStreetMap, border control node at the Kariba dam wallchecked 18 Oct 2026, one source only

Cite as: Travel Africa Guide, "Kariba border post hours", checked 18 October 2026, https://travelafrica.guide/zimbabwe/border-posts/kariba/